Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer – jokingly – wouldn’t mind if Shelvin Mack didn’t show up tonight.
The Hawks traded Mack to the Jazz at the NBA trade deadline last month, honoring a request from the Mack camp to find a place where the point guard wouldn’t be buried on the bench. In Atlanta, Mack played in just 24 games as he was stuck behind starter Jeff Teague and backup Dennis Schroder.
“I think everybody knows we have strong feelings for Shelvin,” Budenholzer said Tuesday morning in advance of a game at the Jazz. “We want good things for him. Probably not tonight. If he didn’t show up it would be OK with us. He is a great player, a great young man who we enjoyed. Happy he is getting an opportunity and taking advantage of it.”
Since the trade, Mack has appeared in eight games for the Jazz. He has made seven starts and will be there again tonight. He has averaged 11.3 points, 3.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.
Budenholzer said it’s the little things that have made Mack successful in Utah.
“I think he has an understanding of what (Jazz coach) Quin (Snyder) wants to do offensively,” Budenholzer said. “He has a pretty high level I.Q. of what we wanted and what Quin wants. I think he can get teams organized. He has a confidence level about him. He was leadership qualities. I think those are the subtle and intangible things that he brings as a point guard.”
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